Merchant of venice money versus love

Money versus Love/Human Relationships

Which is more important to you in life, money or love? Both are important and necessary parts of life, but which one brings more of the other? In the The Merchant Of Venice it seems that money is the more important thing in several places within the play, money is mentioned before a person as well as love itself. This is a consistent pattern throughout the play with the majority of the characters but this is highlighted within the lines of Shylock The Jew, more than any other character he puts his money before everything else. Money over love is demonstrated within the first act of the play as Antonio’s friends offer plausible reasons for why he’s sad, starting with his money invested in the ships at sea, then mentioning love, putting his money at risk at sea at high importance, and mentioning love more of as a joke. Another example; Bassanio asks Antonio for another loan, mentioning the money first then all the stuff that he already owes Antonio, and even asks Antonio to see lending him money as a sort of investment. Then immediately after that Bassanio describes Portia describing her as “a lady richly left” then following up by saying she is fair. The suitors all vying for Portia’s hand in marriage even pick the caskets that look most valuable, picking the gold or silver one versus the lead one in the middle. Also when introducing themselves some of them stated the amount of money they had under their thumb at the time in an attempt to impress Portia. With Shylock money comes first with everything, even over deep personal grudges. When making the deal with Bassanio in Antonio’s name Shylock inquires first about Antonio’s money at sea. More concerned with whether he will get the money he’s lending out back than his personal history with Antonio and the animosity the two have for each other. Pondering the deal he says the amount 3,000 ducats several times reveling the amount in his head, not once mentioning Antonio’s animosity towards him once until later. Even in closing the deal he mentions the money several times before mentioning the pound of flesh. Money even seems to come before his daughter, she runs off taking some money with her Shylock mourns over his ducats first then his daughter, and gets mad at how much money she cost him not so much as who she ran off with. In The Merchant Of Venice money holds a higher value in many cases than relationships, love, and other people in many cases. Following this pattern consistently throughout the play especially within the lines of Shylock the Jew, almost every character within the play is guilty of putting money before other people with the exception of Portia. Portia never puts money before another person and particularly Bassanio. By writing her character this way it further enhances her picture as the ideal woman bearing and abiding by ideal values.